As French as can be!Crepe Café is one of Jeddah’s latest additions to the restaurant scene. It opened earlier this week and the guest of honor, French Consul General Christian Nakhle, cut a large ribbon, formally opening this restaurant in the Roshana Mall just off Tahlia Street. The Crepe Café is a French-style creperie which serves more popular French dishes. The franchise we are told is actually Australian, though the owner is French as is the concept and theme.
Seven Saudi partners, all surprisingly 25 or younger, brought the franchise to Jeddah. This makes them some of the youngest franchisees in the world. The partners are: Alaa Omar Jefri, Moaaz Mahmoud Hashem, Mohannad Haydar Binladen, Ahmad Abdulaziz Hijazi, Osama Basheer Gargouri, Omar Ahmad Baeshen and Mohammad Osama Yamani.
As you can hope for, the Crepe Café doesn’t just serve sweet crepes; there are also savory ones as well. You can order a full healthy meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The menu has a wide range but all are definitely French cuisine. Sweet and savory crepes, pancakes, waffles and omelets are featured and for those who want something light, soups and salads are also available.
After the opening, we dropped by again to give the crepes a go and also to try some of the freshly brewed Australian coffee. I must admit when we first saw the menu, we were lost for choices — seafood, vegetarian, and poultry crepes are available if you’re after a savory meal while over a dozen sweet crepes, pancakes and waffles are available if you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth.
The location provides a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the mall. Ideally situated at the center, it allows weary shoppers to rest their feet and shopping bags while indulging in one of the many crepes on offer.
Natural light falling into the cafe from the mall’s sun roof also provides an ‘indoor outdoor’ experience, and while umbrellas are available for those who prefer some shade, they may not really be necessary as the sunroof glass does a good job at blocking out the glare and intensity of the sun.
All ingredients are stored in small trays behind a glass window beside the counter, so it is easy to see the staff at work preparing the crepes. For the hygiene-conscious, you need not worry as you can see the whole kitchen in front of you without worrying about what might be going on behind closed doors.
We went for three savories and one sweet, choosing the Spinach Florentine (spinach, cheese, bechamel sauce, mushrooms and feta), Chicken Farmhouse (chicken, cheese, bechamel sauce, mushrooms), Parisian Crepe (turkey, cheese, mushrooms) and a Nutella and Banana Crepe.
All were rich and filling that took little more than 5–10 minutes to prepare. Our personal favorite was the Chicken Farmhouse as it was a little saucier than the Parisian Crepe; the Nutella and Banana also got high marks from the team. Four Crepes came in at SR95 with prices varying between SR18 and SR24 each. Our cappuccino and vanilla chai lattes went down well and were SR12 each.
So if you’re looking for a quick snack, without breaking the bank, Crepe Café may be just what you want. We can honestly say if the smell of freshly made crepes and waffles doesn’t make you hungry, we don’t know what will!
Address: Roshana Mall, Tahlia Street
Tel: 2634977
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. – 12 a.m.